Mask Shaping Pack for UE5

01

Goal

UE5Core PackReusable

Target: Reusable shaping logic for thresholds, smoothstep masks, radial masks, sphere masks, and controllable edge bands.

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Use Cases

Core PackDissolve and erosionTurns raw noise into controllable reveal edges for spawn, death, burn, or corruption states.

Core PackGround runes and circlesUseful when rings need clean thresholds, inner gaps, and readable outer falloff.

Core PackShield hit zones and beam falloffsHelps convert distance masks into soft zones, hard bands, or animated reaction edges.

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Core Blocks

1. Threshold remap

Treat this as a named building block, not a hidden math island. It should be easy to preview, tune, and reuse.

Why: small readable parts make the final graph easier to review and extend.

2. Smooth edge control

Use this to protect the silhouette first. Edge response should help the form read before it becomes decoration.

Why: rims and contact lines are usually the cheapest readability fix in a busy scene.

3. Radial and ring masks

Keep the center, radius, and edge width controllable. Circular effects fall apart quickly when those values are buried.

Why: radial signals are reused across portals, shields, runes, and hit pulses.

4. Sphere masks

Preview this signal alone and make sure its range is useful before it drives color, opacity, or emission.

Why: a clean mask makes later tuning feel deliberate instead of guesswork.

5. Edge band extraction

Use this to protect the silhouette first. Edge response should help the form read before it becomes decoration.

Why: rims and contact lines are usually the cheapest readability fix in a busy scene.

04

Node Graph Flow

Input dataShape signalAnimateRemap colorControl alphaOutput

Start from the signal

Get a clean black-and-white read first; color, glow, and distortion should only support that read.

Expose decisions

Every exposed value should answer a real art question: how fast, how wide, how bright, how soft.

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HLSL Equivalent

float shaped = smoothstep(threshold - softness, threshold + softness, inputMask);
float edge = shaped * (1.0 - smoothstep(edgeWidth, edgeWidth + softness, abs(inputMask - threshold)));
return float2(shaped, edge);

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Artist Controls

ColorPrimary and edge colorKeep hue separate from brightness so the palette can change without blowing out the material.

ShapeThreshold and softnessControls where the effect appears and whether the edge feels graphic, soft, or broken.

MotionSpeed and phasePhase offsets keep repeated instances from moving in lockstep.

07

Production Notes

Production check: keep the read clean, then measure cost in the scene where it actually ships.

Preview masks by themselves before judging the finished color.
Name parameters the way an artist would search for them in a Material Instance.
Keep a cheaper instance for background, crowd, or repeated usage.
Write down the gotchas while they are still fresh.

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